Vancouver Sun Run 2015

It was just me and 40,000 of my closest friends. That’s the joke, right, with these massive races? I know I’ve mentioned it before, but in case you hadn’t heard, the Vancouver Sun Run is the largest 10k in Canada (and 3rd in North America). It’s massive. It can be pretty overwhelming. And it’s such a lot of fun!

The Sun Run is a Vancouver institution. So much so that companies small and large register teams and usually cover entry fees for their employees (and sometime for friends and families – or, as I like to call them, ‘ringers’). I’ve never had to pay to enter the Sun Run!

The Corporate Team Challenge pits companies in the same industry against one another. If company teams have ten or more registrants, the average speed of the top ten runners decides the winner.

One of my April goals was to be in our company’s top ten.

The Training

I’ve been training fairly consistently in preparation for upcoming half marathons. The preparation for the Sun Run was part of that. However, I don’t consistently hardly ever do speed work. It’s not that I don’t recognize its value. It’s just that I’m not as motivated as I should be. Long slow runs? No problem! Quick lunchtime runs? In the bag! But speed work is the missing link. I learned that today.

The Morning

I had prepped my gear the night before. The weather report called for sun – and delivered! Bright and clear with just a hint of chill in the air. Headed to the start line about an hour early, with enough time for a potty break. I was able to discard my throwaway hoodie (to be donated) well before the race began.

I was in the Yellow corral – the first one behind the wheelchair and elite corrals. I wanted to get ahead of as much of the pack as possible! It was good energy – with about a dozen giant beach balls being tossed around by the crowd. Eventually, though – and after being hit in the head about 5 times – it got a little old. The kids loved it, but I wasn’t the only one who tired of it pretty quickly!

I spoke briefly to a colleague and his wife (who I knew were fast runners), and saw a couple of our distinctive branded shirts in the crowd. Our company provided technical t-shirts to all runners, which was pretty awesome!

About 5 minutes after the elites headed out, we were off funneled into a narrow channel to shuffle across the start line.

The Course

I’m familiar with the course – the Sun Run was my first race ever, and this is my fifth time running it. It’s a quick 1km downhill, a few tight corners and then along the edge of Stanley Park. Once you hit English Bay, there are bands or DJs every kilometre or so (including a choral group performing an admirable rendition of Madonna’s Like a Prayer!)

A short, steep hill just before 5k (familiar, since it’s a block from home), followed by good old Burrard Bridge.

A few twists and turns and then the final, brutal climb up the Cambie Bridge on-ramp. The last kilometre down off the bridge to cheering crowds.

I passed one of my colleagues heading onto the bridge – and saw two more cross the finish line just ahead of me.

The Results

Once the race is over, we head into BC Place for refreshments, and to connect with our team. I chatted with a few of my fittest coworkers, including Chris – who had thrown down the gauntlet to me in this race. He claimed victory – beating me by over two minutes! This is my reward to him:

Homemade, if you can’t tell!

Overall, this race was a success. While not a personal best, it was a course PB – when I last ran it in 2012, my result was 57:39. As such, finishing with 47:08 was not too shabby – given it was a 10 1/2 minute improvement! And while I didn’t finish in the top 10 for the company, I managed to squeak in at 15th place. I was up against some tough competition – well done, everyone!

Me & lunch-time training partner – Lana (plus photo-bombing toddler!)

Could it have gone better? Perhaps. Should I have trained harder (i.e. done more speed work)? Obviously. Will I tackle the Sun Run again? Absolutely!

Final Results:

Chip time: 47:08
Average pace: 4:42 min/km
Place overall: 1897/39045 (in 2012 it was: 9409/38850)
Age category place: 148/1654

RACE REPORT

Overall
The Sun Run is an experience of epic proportions. Because I was in one of the front corrals, it wasn’t quite the ‘crush’ of people that I’ve faced in previous years. I love the spirit and energy of this event that brings Vancouver together!

Packet Pickup/Expo
As part of the Corporate Team Challenge, I didn’t have to do my own bib pickup. Instead, we had a post-work event at the pub where shirts & bibs were handed out – along with the technical t-shirts kindly provided by our company.

T-Shirt/Swag
The Sun Run shirt itself is a simple cotton affair (Gildan) – I generally use them for non-running workouts at the gym. Corporate Team Challenge runners get their company brand on the back as well.

2015 Shirt Design

No medals for this race – just too many people! Unless you place in your age category. Then you absolutely deserve it!

Course
Scenic – along English Bay, and over Burrard Bridge. Very quick downhill for the first kilometre. Three hill challenges: Hornby and Pacific (just before 5km); Burrard Bridge; Cambie Bridge. Biggest challenges: tight corners from Georgia onto Denman (around 1km) and very soon thereafter heading onto Robson – with big crowds, and a lot of variation in people’s pace, it can get pretty crowded.

Good entertainment from bands/performers with live music, and a few DJs from local radio stations.

Aid Stations
I didn’t use any of them, but there were plenty of aid stations staffed by young, cheering volunteers. They provide good signage of upcoming stations, too. I think it was mostly water, rather than sports drinks.

Post-Race
Held inside BC Place – good to either warm up or cool off, depending on the outside weather. Food included: bananas, bagels, and fruit juice (thanks to Spud.com and Oasis). Sponsors also provided samples: PowerBar, Muscle MLK, McDonald’s (coffee), Dairyland (chocolate milk), and Nature’s Path.

The stadium also posts giant letters so you can meet up with your team – which is great, given that 40,000 runners is a lot to sift through to find your people!

Race Management
No complaints whatsoever. The Sun Run team clearly knows what they’re doing. Per everything above – top notch job. The only thing I didn’t like was the darn beach balls while we were waiting in the corral – anything flying at my head kind of stresses me out. But I’ll let that one slide. Because the Sun Run rocks!
Have you ever run the Vancouver Sun Run? How was your experience? What’s the largest race you’ve even participated in?

Shamrock’n 7 Miler Race Report

The Green Sock Half Marathon & Shamrock’n Race (including 7 Miler and 5k) is another TRY Event, like the Chilly Chase Half Marathon I completed in January. The only minor challenge for me was getting to Burnaby on Saturday for package pickup, since we don’t own a car – but I knew this going in, so we made an afternoon of it. Pickup was quick and easy – only one person in line ahead of me. No ‘expo’ – just a table at the local running store – but we did get these groovy shamrock socks!

I learned a few lessons today:

• Sleep is essential to good running performance
• Hydrate sufficiently the days (and week) before a race – not the morning of
• Not every race can be a PB
• I should keep doing long runs the day before a race

I stayed up way too late on Friday night. We were having a lot of issues with our computer, requiring a complete disk wipe and refresh. It’s working again – but I got sucked into the void and stayed up until after 1am reading blogs, responding to emails, and enjoying a second well-earned glass of wine. It was supposed to rain mightily on Saturday morning (it didn’t), so I consciously decided to sleep in. Consequently, I didn’t stick to my success ‘plan’ of having a long run the day before a race. Plus, sleeping in never really makes up for staying up way past your bedtime. Saturday night, I couldn’t sleep. I was restless and the cat woke me up twice. I was not feeling refreshed this morning.

The drive to Burnaby Lake was quick, with little traffic on Sunday morning. I got there early, used the washroom (where the stalls had no doors…), and had a quick look around – it was grey, but not yet drizzly.

That’s Burnaby Mountain in the distance

Then met up with Debra, who supplied me with the requisite St. Patrick’s Day GREEN! Also ran into Bob, who was doing the half marathon. Both of them were dressed for success!

Smack dab in the middle of a field…

…the start line was fairly low-key. In the end, maybe a couple of hundred people out for all three distances, which involved a ‘mass start’ for everyone.

The course took us around the edge of the sports fields and then into the trails surrounding Burnaby Lake. The lake is kind of a smiley face shape, so we ran up to the left corner of the mouth, across the top lip to the right corner, and back along the bottom lip. Like this:

The trails are pretty well maintained, mostly gravel, with a few wooden bridges to cross. Due to the mass start, the 5k-ers did an out and back, so I met a few of them on their return. There was also a group of about two dozen people training for the Sun Run who we encountered along the way, along with the odd dog walker or couple out for a morning walk.  Because the path isn’t especially wide, these were minor obstacles – but the race is small so it didn’t really cause any problems.

Eek! Watch for bears!

At the far end of the lake we crossed a dam, requiring us to run up about 8 steps.

My favourite part of the race was near km 9, running along a boardwalk over the marshy ground, with a wonderful view of the lake itself. I didn’t get any photos – but Debra did – including one of my favourite part! My least favourite part was feeling the need to pee starting around 6km, but having to just soldier on to get ‘er done.

Just before the finish, there is a brief out-and-back, and then the half marathoners went on to complete their second loop. As I headed into the finishing chute, it was just me and one other person (who was wrapping up her 5k). I was high-fived by the race director, who even called me by name! I got my nifty shamrock medal and big smiles from the volunteers, and then grabbed a pancake!

Before the race, I had some delusions of possibly finishing in the top 3 of my age group – as it turns out, the race is so small that they only give awards for the top 3 overall male and female…and I did not qualify! However, I ended up coming in 11th place overall (8th place for men), so not too shabby. Then, since the rain was starting to fall, made my way home.

Overall, I really enjoyed this race. The course was well-marked, the socks and medals were fun, and despite not running a best time…I got an automatic PB for this distance. (NOTE: my Garmin tells me I ran 10.68km, which equates to 6.64 miles, not 7 miles. Not exactly sure what to do with this…although it’s pretty close to half of a half marathon, so…)

Final Results:

Chip Time: 56:06
Average Pace: A matter of dispute, given the indeterminate length of the course – but about 5:04 minutes/km
Place overall: 11/125

 

Now, on to the GIVEAWAY! Giveaway closed

Let me tell you a bit about the Laughlin / Bullhead Half Marathon & 5K

Quick Facts:

• Inaugural race, held on Saturday, December 5, 2015
• Half Marathon (13.1 miles) and 5K (3.1 miles)
• Estimated total RUNNERS will be 1750
• Portion of proceeds from each registration will support Boys and Girls Club of the Colorado River
• Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City, AZ are about 90 miles South of Las Vegas near where NV, AZ, and CA meet

I’ve decided to run the Laughlin Half Marathon for a few reasons, not the least of which is that it’s being held on my birthday! The course is primarily road, with three off-road miles into the Mojave Desert, which I think is incredible. Also, the run will take us across the Davis Dam into Arizona – which is a different time zone!

The natural beauty of the Colorado River, Lake Mohave, and majestic mountainous skylines along with the gaming action of the Vegas-style Casinos and energy of the numerous clubs, shows and fine dining make the communities of Laughlin and Bullhead City the perfect setting to host this first annual Half Marathon & 5K.

Two States – Two Time Zones – One Dam Great Race!

My Giveaway is now closed – but I’d still encourage you to register for the inaugural Laughlin / Bullhead Half Marathon, being held in Laughlin, Nevada on December 5, 2015!

Thanks to Kristy at Runaway Bridal Planner and co-host Amanda at Mom Who TRI’s for putting together the Spring into Fitness Giveaway Hop! Amanda was the lucky winner of my Giveaway!!

Where is your dream destination run?

First Half Half Marathon – Race Report

The day started out the way race days should. It was brisk but not too cold, quite foggy with the promise of sun. I brought along my throwaway BMO Marathon gloves and my sunglasses, and wore my First Half long-sleeved race shirt from 2014. Last year was a personal best (PB) in the half marathon distance (1 hour 48 mins 12 seconds) and while I had no expectations that this year would be another, I felt that wearing the shirt might be good luck!

This year’s shirt – which I wanted to trade in for a smaller size

Before I left home, however, there was a bit of a glitch. Without being too graphic…the morning was tarnished by some gastrointestinal distress. Is it nerves? Is it because I shouldn’t have eaten those chips last night? (I shouldn’t have.) Whatever the cause, I popped some pills, including probiotics and some Immodium, and hoped for the best. Since the start line is less than 10 minutes from my place, I waited until about an hour before gun time to head out.

Forerunners – host of my weekly clinic – is one of the title sponsors for this fun and well-organized event. I arrived at the venue, and caught up with a bunch of my clinic peeps.

Me and my running buddy, Lucy

I made a porta-potty pit stop, downed a gel, and then headed to the starting corral. I put myself in the 1:45 pace area – might as well set my sights high!

One of my Twitter buddies, Debra Kato, also took this uber-happy photo of me:

We sang the national anthem and then – literally seconds later – the 5 second countdown started! And GO!

I had a few goals for this race:

1. Try to rely less on my Garmin, and listen to my body instead.
2. Not go out too fast, and save some energy for the end.
3. Keep my cadence pretty high (i.e. take shorter, quicker steps – rather than longer strides).
4. If possible, achieve a negative split. (For the non-runners out there, that just means running the second half faster than the first half.)

The first two kilometres take us from the Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown, around BC Place Stadium, and back toward the Roundhouse. My first km was a bit fast, but the second was a bit slow…so I decided to try and find a happy medium. I won’t go into the details, but suffice it to say that I managed to achieve a pretty consistent pace that put me on the right track.

Also, at about the same time, I thought that phlegm guy was back. (Check out my Eastside 10K race report for context!) However, it turned out to be phlegm girl, and thankfully I either outpaced her, or she got control of her sinus issues, because it only lasted a kilometre or two.

Here’s a map of the First Half, to put the course into perspective:

I’ve gushed about the beauty of running in Vancouver, and today was no exception. As the fog started to burn off, I managed to snap this mid-run photo near Lost Lagoon (around the 7km mark – right where the black dot is on the map above).

As we hit the halfway mark somewhere along the Seawall, I checked my time. Not ideal, but a time with some potential. I picked up the pace a tad. This part of the race is tough – Stanley Park continues to be my nemesis – though I have beaten it down before. On the dark side of the park, the fog was still pretty thick and I could barely see Siwash Rock:

At 19km, knowing that there were a couple of hills in my near future, I kicked it up a notch. My better half was waiting at the top of the first hill at the 20km mark:

When I crested the second hill, with less than 1km remaining, I gave it all I had. And crossed the finish line with a time that was unquestionably a PB!

Celebration ensued!

I also became a bit of a #fanboi, and snapped a selfie with Dylan Wykes. Dylan is a Forerunners ambassador, and also happened to win today’s race with a time of 1:07:20!

In terms of my race goals:

1. I checked my Garmin on occasion, but didn’t let it control me.
2. Although I started a wee bit fast, I got things under control and had some power left at the end.
3. My average cadence was 184spm (steps per minute) – 180spm or higher is said to be optimal.
4. A negative split! My second half was just over a minute faster than my first half!

It couldn’t have been a better day! This is my fourth First Half (and my best so far). As usual, the food and volunteers were stellar. And although I had to wait around a bit to get a smaller shirt, someone turned in a men’s small at just the right time! Kudos to the organizers for yet another amazing race!

Final results:

Chip time: 1:47:37 (35-second PB!)
Average pace: 5:06 min/km
Place overall: 723/2082
Age category place: 76/135

Do you have a favourite race? Do you set goals before heading out? Share your experiences! If you’re not a runner – what goals have you set in terms of fitness or other personal achievements?

Chilly Chase Half Marathon: Race Report

It was one of those dreams where you know you’re dreaming and it’s not even a dream it’s really just your mind on overdrive trying to figure out something but without the rational thought to actually find a solution of what to wear, whether I’ll be overdressed or underdressed and what if I can’t find a car2go…and that’s how I woke up the morning of the Chilly Chase.

The Chilly Chase Half Marathon is part of TRY Events, which organizes a number of races throughout the year in Metro Vancouver. The Chilly Chase comprises 4 races – 5K, 10K, 15K and half marathon. I seem to have set myself up by publicly declaring 2015 the ‘Year of the Half Marathon‘, so that’s the one I chose!

It was a wet and miserable (yet foggy and mysterious) Saturday afternoon when I went to package pickup…

…which was very low-key, with only 2 other participants there when I arrived. I got my bib, a delightful pair of socks, and my timing chip.

 

TRY Events are ‘bare bones’, which is actually rather refreshing – the basics, a few perks, and a small crowd. My only complaint about this race is that there was no course map for the half marathon, either online or at pickup. The volunteer explained that it followed the same course as the 15K, and then continued around the Stanley Park Seawall…and back again. Fair enough, especially since this route is very familiar. But I would definitely have liked to have had a course map with kilometre markers, a bit like this:

After package pickup, I went to physio. Since the Honolulu Marathon, I’ve been having pretty consistent pain in my right foot. Treatment looked like this:

Electrical pules & needles

(By end of the race, my foot was pretty sore again – iced it, and will take it easy the next few days.)

Race Day

After the waking dream drama, I got up and ate my oatmeal, relaxed a bit, and easily found a car2go to get me to the start line well ahead of time. A beautiful, warm January morning – perfect weather for a race!

Ran into a few of my Forerunners buddies, and we hung about in the Creekside Community Centre gym. It wasn’t chilly at all (about 12 degrees), but nice to be inside before the race.

The half marathon gun went off promptly at 9am (the other races followed with staggered starts, a few minutes apart). I spent the better part of the first 10km trying to keep pace with Bob (of NYC Marathon Guest Blog fame). I was able to maintain a pretty consistent target pace for the first 5km, but at that point realized that I may have gone out too strong as my pace slowed.

On Bob’s heels

 

Still going strong…at 3km

I think the toughest moment of the race was the south shore of Lost Lagoon, because we ended up running through mud. And isn’t it always the way? When you splash through a puddle, the water lands squarely on the toes of your opposite foot. Yuck.

We hit the Seawall, and the lead runners were already on their way back from the turnaround point. I started counting them and reached about 40 before heading back myself, picking up the pace again and trying to stay on track. Things started to falter again at 16km, at which point Bob caught up with me again, and we pretty much paced each other for the rest of the race.

I mustered up a wee bit of energy in the final stretch, besting Bob by just seconds! Didn’t quite achieve the sub-1:50 time I was hoping for, but 2015 is still young.

Bookin’ it at the finish

See…just seconds behind me!

Bob, Gail, Stephen

I realized that after all the focus on last year’s marathon, I’ve been humble-bragging to myself a bit, thinking, “It’s only a half marathon.” But a half marathon is still 21.1km, nothing to sneeze at. And with the First Half Half Marathon just 3 weeks away, I’m going to focus my training a bit more and take things a bit more seriously.

All in all, a great race! Weather, friends, organization, volunteers, swag – everything a race should be!

Final results:

Chip time: 1:50:38
Average pace: 5:14 min/km
Place overall: 41/152
Age category place: 7/17

Honolulu Marathon #42for42 Achieved!

Disclaimer: While I generally like to write my race reports immediately following, this race was the start of a 3-week vacation, including both Hawai’i and Japan. I’ve had no access to a computer until now, but that means the time has finally come!

It started on a whim – the thought that I should challenge myself to my first marathon (i.e. 42 kilometres) the year I turned 42. The Honolulu Marathon was to be held just a week after my 42nd birthday, and in January 2014 I got an earlybird notice and was able to sign up for just $50! How could I say no? I ended up completing the BMO Vancouver Marathon in May – a ‘practice’ run – but Honolulu was the true goal. #42for42

We arrived in Honolulu on a direct flight from Vancouver on Friday night. Saturday morning’s errand was race package pickup at the Convention Centre, just a block from our hotel. The expo was extremely organized and efficient – bib pickup in under 5 minutes, and multiple vendors with everything from crafts to pain relief to running gear. I kept my shopping to a minimum, but enjoyed myself nonetheless. See for yourself!

The Honolulu Marathon starts exhaustingly early at 5am. Part of our hotel plan was to be close to the start line in Ala Moana, and we had some stunning views from our hotel balcony. This was the pre-race day sunset:

I had set my alarm for 3:30am, but awoke even before that. First I checked the weather…um, rain? And then I looked out the window. People were already gathering, lining up for the toilets, and doing their warmups. I made my instant oatmeal, drank some peppermint tea, and pulled myself together before heading out into the dark morning.

Oh, the crowds! A total of 21,815 people finished the race, so I can only assume that a few more than that started. I found my spot, watched the crowds, squinted into the rain, and soon it was time to begin – with fireworks! Most exciting race start ever!

Because this event is self-seeding, there were no corral restrictions. As such, while I seeded myself in the 3 to 4 hour corral, it was clear from guntime that many runners were not aiming to complete the race in 4 hours or less. Many people were running at a significantly slower pace, or even walking within the first kilometre or two. As such, I expended a good amount of energy over the first 5k dodging people (and puddles) to try to get up to a reasonable pace – I struggled to get below 6 minutes/km until the 4k mark.

The first 10k took us on a loop through Downtown Honolulu – which was fantastic due to all of the Christmas lights dotted through town – and then on to Waikiki. The main strip was remarkably crowded with spectators, given that it was only about 5:30am. There were a few drunken revellers who likely hadn’t been to bed yet (I got a very sloppy high 5 from one of them), but overall the crowd was simply there to cheer us on.

We rounded Kapiolani Park (where we would eventually complete the race), and then started the tough slog up and around Diamond Head – the ancient volcanic cone visible from Waikiki Beach (see photo below). This was probably my favourite moment of the race, and I hope I can describe it well enough to do it justice:  Diamond Head Road curves up and around the crater. All along this stretch were volunteers, mostly high school students, holding a long yellow police tape – one person every couple of metres. EVERY ONE of them was smiling, cheering, encouraging, high fiving – and creating the most positive, enthusiastic race energy I’ve ever experienced.

Diamond Head from Waikiki during the day.

I chose to put #42fo42 and my Twitter account (@bjcjapan) on a bib on my back. Somewhere around 14km, a guy came up to me and asked if it was my 42nd marathon! I explained my philosophy of 42for42, and chatted with him about his marathon experience (he was from Oregon, currently living in Hawai’i, thought he’d give the race a go). Unfortunately, I never got his bib number, so I wasn’t able to see how he did in the end!

After a few twists and turns through residential neighbourhoods, we found ourselves at the 20km mark on Highway 1 heading east. And that’s when the real weather began – the rain started coming down in sheets, and the wind (from the east!) buffeted us. It was a tough slog. At one point, I though I felt something really heavy in my left pocket (my iPhone was in my right pocket…), but then I realized it was just my soaking wet shorts slapping against my leg. THAT’s how wet it was!

Even before reaching the halfway point, the lead runners came towards us, on their way back from the out-and-back loop around Hawai’i Kai, a good 15km ahead of me and those around me. Though dripping wet, they looked like they were flying – simply amazing. I love it when a race route allows you to see what the true professionals look like when they’re doing what they do best!

The Hawai’i Kai loop (kms 25-29) took us through some more residential neighbourhoods, where the locals were out in full force, and offering up pretzels, snacks, oranges, and the like. The community spirit was amazing – and while the weather continued to be very damp, I couldn’t help but smile (or grimace? Hard to be sure).

Hawai’i Kai – and rainy mountains all around

And then we were back at the freeway – and now we were seeing all the runners and walkers coming from behind. Costumes, great enthusiasm – even a couple who ballroom danced the entire route (it took them 11 hours!) – followed by one of the best rainbows I’ve ever seen! Turning towards the ocean, we ran by some beautiful homes and estates – at this point, a woman approached me about #42for42 – again assuming that this was my 42nd marathon! I guess the Americans can be forgiven, though, as they would see the marathon as 26.2 (miles, of course)!

A ray of hope!

At 39k the return ascent over Diamond Head started, and I truly thought I wasn’t going to make it. My reserves were very low, despite having stopped at every water and gel stop along the way. I had long since given up on the idea of improving on my Vancouver Marathon time, but suddenly it occurred to me that I might not make it to the finish line at all. It’s the closest I’ve ever been to bursting into tears during a race, and probably the longest 2 kilometres of my life. At this moment, I determined I would never again run another marathon.

And then I was there. Finish line. Cool shower. Puka shells. Sweet treats. Finisher T-shirt. Medal. So happy. Wearing my finisher shirt around town and having total strangers congratulate me – and likewise congratulating others wearing their shirts! This is what it’s all about – and why #42for42 was an unequivocal success! And will I run another marathon? We’ll just have to wait and see…

Final results:

Chip time: 4:14:24
Average pace: 6:01 min/km
Place overall: 2188/21815
Age category place: 259/1302

The Countdown is On – 1 week to Hawaii

The Honolulu Marathon has been updating their Facebook page daily with the ongoing countdown: 2 weeks…10 days…and now just one week!! How did this happen? This showed up on my Twitter feed this morning:

When I signed for for my #42for42 race back in January, I was wide-eyed and innocent in the ways of the full marathon. It was a spur of the moment decision, combined with an earlybird special that made it cheap enough to allow me to bail if things didn’t go my way. Plus, I’ve never been to Hawaii before!

I thought about doing a post today on lessons learned – but with only one marathon under my belt (and a previous post of a similar ilk), that didn’t seem very honest. Rather, I’ll just talk about my thoughts – and, most assuredly, my fears about this race!

The Climate
I’ve done most of my training in mild weather, with the occasional dabble in miserable and/or below zero. Due to my post-BMO injury, I did very little training during the warmer summer months. And even if I had – the warm, dry summers in Vancouver hardly compare. As such, I’m completely unprepared for a tropical run. Heat? Humidity? No idea how to deal with those, or how my body will respond.

The Time
5:00am start. That means I’ll need to be up and ready before 4:00am. What? Anyone who knows me knows I’m not a morning person. Never have been. My two saving graces are: we got a hotel just 15 minutes’ walk from the Start, so less anxiety about getting there; and due to the time difference (Vancouver is 2 hours ahead of Hawaii), it won’t feel as early. Right?

The Training
I kept to a pretty consistent training schedule before my first marathon in the spring. This time around, life has thrown a few wrenches into the works. In particular, work has been manic since Labour Day, limiting my ability to train at lunchtime like I did in the spring. I’ve been taking a college course as well, which forced me to prioritize study over sport a few times. And, due to an unexpected trip to Ontario for family matters, I might have peaked earlier than intended and started tapering before I ought to have. So while I’m pretty confident I can do the distance, how well I can do it is in question.

The Diet
I have the best intentions for cutting out certain things, for eating more of other things. But with the holiday season in full swing, and my chip addiction somewhat unabated, I fear I haven’t been adhering to the ideal marathon training diet. OK, I did have a kale salad last night, but then we went for dim sum this morning. I really lack the discipline of a true athlete. Thankfully, the race is at the beginning of our holidays, so if I can just hold off on the indulgences for another week…

The Expectations
This race has been on the calendar for nearly a year. A lot of people know I’m running. It’s a hashtag goal! So although I’m trying to be realistic in what I hope to achieve (given the factors above), I have set certain expectations for myself. I won’t reveal them until I either meet them or fail to do so, and tell you all about it in my race report. So stay tuned!

Am I overthinking things? Probably. I tend to do that. In fact, this pretty much sums up my general state of being:

I’ve signed up for several half marathons in 2015. No matter what happens in Hawaii, I’m going to keep running, and blogging about it! Whether or not I do another full marathon depends somewhat on how this race goes, how my body responds, and how the new year plays out. Regardless, I hope that by this time next week I will have completed my second full marathon, and made #42for42 a reality!

See you in Hawaii!

Race Report: Rock ‘n’ Roll Vancouver Half Marathon

Have you ever had this experience? You get so wrapped up on your day-to-day that you kind of lose track of other things? Maybe it’s work, maybe it’s family and kids, maybe it’s school – for me, it was several weeks of busier-than-usual at work, combined with an online class with an exam the day before…the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon?! Where did that come from??

When I first heard that the Rock ‘n’ Roll series was coming to Vancouver, I was really excited! But with all the summer uncertainty caused by my post-marathon injury, I didn’t want to commit. Finally, after a casual Friday evening run with Laurel back in August, I threw my hat in the ring.

And pretty much forgot about it.

Not entirely, of course. It was on my calendar, it was part of my Honolulu training plan, and it definitely had a medal that I coveted. But when race weekend rolled around, I couldn’t believe it was that time already.

My gear – going for a Hallowe’en theme!

Sunday Morning

I live 20 minutes’ walk from the start line. I got up early and had my usual breakfast, then had an easy run over. It was dead, hardly a soul there. Where are all the people? It was dark and chilly. I checked my bag and wandered around. It was still wet from the previous night’s torrential rain, but the day was looking good.

Finally, I texted my buddy Sharon, and ended up hanging out with her at Caffe Artigiano. At this point, I learned that the race did NOT start at 7:45am (as indicated on the map that the MarathonFoto people had handed me) – but at 8:15am.

You can see my confusion

At the starting line, I ran into a couple of folks from Forerunners. (Bob – on the left – will be my next guest blogger, sharing his NYC Marathon experiences!)

The Race Is On!

I chose to make this another ‘naked’ race – at least, I had no music playing. It was also the first race with my new Garmin. It took several minutes to find the GPS (and I saw a few other people holding their watches to the sky, so I guess I wasn’t alone), but it was ready when the gun went off. I was also fortunate to run into the well-known blogger and Twitter personality Nikki Scott in my corral! (I should have asked her for a photo, but I was a bit star-struck!) You can read her race report here – and see her awesome costume!!

We headed east down Cordova toward Gastown. I love the sound of everyone running on the cobblestone streets! My first surprise came at the 1km marker – when my Garmin didn’t register 1km until I was well past. That caused me a wee but of concern. Was I not calibrated correctly? The rest of the race was similar – but sometimes my watch registered a km well before I reached the marker. I conclude that the course was not measured entirely accurately – my finishing distance was 21.37km – and another runner told me she encountered the same thing.

Things I didn’t like:

• The walkers started about 15 minutes before the runners – fair enough, it takes longer! But once we started passing them (around 3-4km), things got cozy. Some groups of walkers were four abreast, and passing was not always the easiest.
• The hairpin turns. In both east Van and Stanley Park, there were some pretty tight switchbacks. Everyone was trying to cut the tangent, and it was so crowded we were forced to walk.
• The lady in Yaletown who was walking ‘against traffic’ and screamed at the 100’s of runners passing her by: “Share the Seawall!!” Umm…it’s a race. Only in Yaletown.

Things I liked:

• The music. Yes, it’s the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon – and there were musicians throughout the course. I didn’t recognize any of the bands, but I enjoyed the variety! Lots of fun!
• The course – such a great tour of Vancouver! Downtown and Gastown, the Eastside, the Seawall through Yaletown, English Bay, Stanley Park, and Coal Harbour.
• The organization. Things flowed smoothly, no hiccups.
• The medal (see the end of my post…) – one of the coolest I have!

Around the 15k mark, as we skirted the north side of Lost Lagoon, we could actually hear the finish line announcements. I even heard the name of one of my coworkers being called. This was weird, since we still had 6km to go!

I felt strong heading into Stanley Park, and was delighted to recognize Laurel as we reached Brockton Point. Our exchange:

Me: Hi Laurel!

Laurel: Hi! How’s your groin?

Me: My groin is great! How’s your [unspecified medical issue]?

Laurel: Fantastic!

And then, thinking I had the chance of a PB, I was on my way.

In the end, it was not a PB – it was 30 seconds short. But given my belief that the course was 200 metres long – I think I did pretty well! In the finishing chute, I spoke briefly with Nick, a former Forerunner. Then I chatted with Mr. Canada for a while – a very talented runner and all-around good guy!

Laurel found me and introduced me to some of her friends. We all decided to forego the free beer. It was still only 10:30am and honestly – I was too cold! Perhaps if they’d had some mulled wine at the finish line…

Final results:

Chip time: 1:48:42
Average pace: 5:09 min/km
Place overall: 958/6349
Age category place: 133/406

Ambleside Mile: the race I almost didn’t run

Little teaser here: Ambleside Mile video! (You’ll see me cross the finish line at 4:28)

Since the Vancouver Marathon, I’ve been nursing a couple of injuries that have severely limited my ability to run. I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that the Ambleside Mile was important to me in more ways than one!

Bringing Back the Mile

I’d never thought about running a mile before.

This year, the Ambleside Mile was organized by the same folks who brought us the West Van Run earlier this year. I was so impressed with that race that I took note of this short-distance run. Then, in an effort to promote my blog, I was offered a free entry to the Ambleside Mile to give away in my first ever blog contest!

One of my nagging injuries was still bothering me in the week leading up to the race, and I only had a couple of short run-walks under my belt. On Saturday, at the prompting of my Dad (visiting from Ontario), I gave a one-mile run a try. And guess what? It was quick, hard work, and it didn’t hurt (at least, not in an injury-related way). So, the Ambleside Mile was still on!

Package pickup was both Friday (but only until 6pm, so no way to get there on a weekday) and Saturday before the race. With a 9:45am start, we arrived promptly at 9am. There was a short lineup at CoffeeBar, waiting to get bibs and T-shirts. And here is my only criticism of the race. The young man handing out bibs seemed to be having technical difficulties, and seemed a bit at a loss. Although I had ordered a small shirt, they couldn’t find any – BUT! the medium actually fits really well so no complaints.

Out on Marine Drive, the announcer kept us updated on the time leading up to the race, and there was motivating music playing. We were finally called to the start area, where we were led in some warmup exercises. I took a photo for a very sweet couple, who I later saw crossing the finish line hand-in-hand. That’s me there, number 17 – and the cute couple is to my left. 🙂

Start line stretch

Is it weird that I was actually more nervous about this one-mile race than I’ve been about much longer, much more intimidating races? But as we gathered at the start, there was so much good-natured chatter, and a great diversity of participants, that I soon felt at ease. There were seasoned runners, kids and families – such a great community event!

Gathering to the start

Soon we were off! It’s amazing how long a mile can feel – but also how exciting such a short run can be! Anticipating the Ambleside Community Day parade, starting immediately after the race, lots of local people were gathered on both sides of Marine Drive. There was such a positive atmosphere, such enthusiasm, with everyone cheering us on. While it certainly didn’t show on my face, I was definitely smiling inside!

And they’re off!

The race travelled 4 blocks down Marine Drive (from 17th to 13th), a quick right, and another onto Bellevue. My favourite comment from a fellow racer to a cheering spectator: “It’s not as easy as it looks!” We hit 13th, ran back up to Marine, and then headed to the finish line just beyond 16th.

Sprinting (?) to the finish

There seemed to be some uncertainty about the accuracy of the finish line clock, and I chose to run this race ‘naked’ (i.e. with no technology) – so I was really unsure about my finish clock until the results were finally posted on the Ambleside Mile website. In the end, I had a chip time of 6 minutes 46 seconds. Based on my research, this is a pretty respectable time, so I’m pleased with my results (and, having nothing to compare to, it’s a PB!)

I was also really excited to have my Dad in town to see me finish a race – having him and my guy to cheer me on really made a difference!

Thanks to the volunteers and organizers for putting on a great event, and to all the West Vancouverites who came out to cheer us on! I’ll be there again next year!